The actor led
the 80,000-strong crowd through a singalong rendition of Always Look on
the Bright Side of Life, while a bizarre troupe of dancers performed
around him.
They included
jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players and skating nuns and
when the song finished, a human cannonball was launched across the
stadium.
He was followed
by a performance by pop icons Queen, including vocals from Jessie J and
from beyond the grave, by the band's late singer Freddie Mercury.
Comedy legend:
Monty Python star Eric Idle appears at the Closing Ceremony to lead the
audience through a singalong of his hit Always Look On The Bright Side
of Life
Finale: A
heartstopping array of colours zigzag through the night sky above the
Olympic Park as fireworks conclude the London 2012 Olympic Games
Alight: Fireworks explode into the London night sky as the Olympic closing ceremony comes to a spectacular end
Inside the stadium, audience members and athletes look on as the Olympic Park is illuminated by a breathtaking display
It's over: Fireworks light up the Olympic Village in Stratford, east London as London 2012 draws to an emotional close
Tickertape: Athletes react as confetti rains down on them during the Closing Ceremony
Rock behemoths:
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who headline the Olympic
Closing ceremony with a medley of their biggest hits, including Baba
O'Reilly
Take That:
After much speculation over whether they would perform or not after Gary
Barlow's tragic loss of his stillborn daughter, Take That - minus
Robbie Williams whose wife is due to give birth - took to the stage with
hit single Rule The World
As the flames in the Olympic cauldron get weaker, the phoenix flies higher over the crowd in the stadium below
Phoenix from the flames: As the Olympic flame died, it was replaced by a Phoenix which rose above the stadium
As the cauldron separated, the Olympic flame slowly faded until it was no more and the Games was officially over
Artists from
the Royal Ballet, including British ballerina Darcy Bussell, perform as
the Phoenix descends from the roof of the Olympic Stadium
Football
superstar: Pele appears on stage, wearing Brazilian colours, for a
performance with former street cleaner Renato Sorriso
Ready for Rio: Brazilian performers give the world a taste of what to expect when the Games moves to Rio de Janeiro in 2016
Proud: Locog chairman Lord Coe, right, delivers a speech as IOC President Jacques Rogge watches during the Closing Ceremony
London mayor Boris Johnson passes the Olympic Flag to Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, helped by IOC president Jacques Rogge
End of an era: The Olympic flag is lowered by representatives from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force
Brian May of Queen performs together with Jessie J during the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
From beyond the
grave: The late Freddie Mercury, on a giant screen, leads Queen out
onstage for their performance at the closing ceremony
The best of
Britain's past and present music scene partied with volunteers, athletes
and the world as London 2012 came to a breathtaking close tonight.
The Spice Girls, Madness, Queen, Take That and Annie Lennox took to the stage in a symphony of British music.
Aimed at
celebrating one of Britain's strongest cultural exports over the last 50
years, the musical extravaganza marked the end of the country's most
successful Games in more than a century.
Evoking images
of the past from Winston Churchill and Edward Elgar, through the
psychedelic 60s to the highs and lows of the Games, the closing ceremony
culminated with a glimpse of the carnival that awaits in Rio in four
years' time.
A galaxy of
stars including the Pet Shop Boys, Kaiser Chiefs, George Michael, Tinie
Tempah and Jessie J, along with faces such as Kate Moss, Russell Brand,
Julian Lloyd Webber, Naomi Campbell and Darcey Bussell built up to the
show's climax and The Who.
Muse's guitar player Matthew Bellamy joins a starstudded list of performers at the Olympic Closing Ceremony
Monty Python's
Eric Idle tussles with a band of morris dancers as he performs to the
80,000-strong crowd inside the Olympic Stadium
Heavenly: Nun and angels form the backdrop for Monty Python star Eric Idle's Closing Ceremony performance
A brave performer is shot from a cannonball during Idle's sketch, a nod to Britain's rich comic history
Indie icon: Liam Gallagher and his band Beady eye followed The Spice Girls with a performance of Oasis number one hit Wonderwall
Spice up the
stage: The Spice Girls reformed to perform a spectacular set on the top
of black London taxis at the closing ceremony
Traditionally,
the closing ceremony is a chance to celebrate what the athletes have
achieved, with Lord Coe describing the night as a time to "party, party,
party."
Entering the
Olympic Stadium, the audience was treated to a vision of working London
wrapped in newspaper as they were taken to the heart of the capital's
busy rush hour.
As well as
typically rainy weather forecasts and stocks and shares, the reams of
print celebrated British literary greats from the earliest surviving
Anglo-Saxon poetry to current poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, with
extracts from Shakespeare and Milton along the way.
A series of
ramps - covering the track where Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis made history
- formed a black and white Union Jack, the first of many versions of
the flag to feature in the extravaganza.
Unwrapped on a
newspaper rubbish truck, singer Emeli Sande, who performed in the
opening ceremony, delighted the crowds with hit song Read All About It.
Percussion
group Stomp emerged to swing from the scaffolding, playing models of the
capital's landmarks including Big Ben and the London Eye as if they
were instruments.
Supermodel: As
the stadium is turned into a giant catwalk, London-born model Kate Moss
appears wearing a gold Alexander McQueen dress
Shimmering: Naomi Campbell, draped in gold, takes over, strutting in a dazzling gold McQueen dress with a long train
Style: Supermodels Lily Cole, Karen Elson, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell walk the catwalk in a show of British beauty and design
Within moments,
The Beatles' hit Because, performed by London gospel choir Urban Voices
Collective, merged into Edward Elgar's Salut d'Amour by cellist Julian
Lloyd Webber on top of the Royal Albert Hall. As the morning traffic jam
came to life, newspaper-clad vehicles from black cabs and vintage cars
to folding bikes revved their engines and honked their horns as
newspaper-dressed businessmen and women portrayed a busy Monday morning
on Waterloo Bridge.
Winston
Churchill, played by King's Speech actor Timothy Spall, stood atop Big
Ben reciting the same lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest which helped
open the Games 16 days ago: "Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises."
As the
deafening noise grew to a crescendo, Churchill brought the worldwide
audience's focus to the royal box as a fanfare announced the arrival of
Prince Harry and International Olympic Committee president Jacques
Rogge.
As Union flags
were waved from car windows, the packed stadium was led in the British
National Anthem by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Urban Voices
Collective.
Arriving in style: Jessie J arrives onstage, performing in the back of a white Rolls Royce
Trio: Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz perform during the closing ceremony
Right here, right now: British DJ and musician Fatboy Slim performed his most famous hits in a giant translucent octopus
Comedy star Russell Brand performs his sketch during the Olympic Games closing ceremony
Russell Brand
sings I Am The Walrus aboard a psychedelic tour bus, a nod to the
movement in British history notably popular with bands Pink Floyd, The
Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Stone Roses
After the armed
services raised the flag, printed grey clouds on the stadium floor were
pulled back to reveal an artistic explosion of red, white, and blue
created by Damien Hirst.
As Michael
Caine's classic 1969 film The Italian Job was shown on the screens, the
yellow Robin Reliant of Only Fools and Horses fame made an explosive
entry, with Batman and Robin staggering from the wreckage in reference
to one of the classic British comedy's most famous episodes.
Madness joined
the stage with the infectious beat of Our House as the cast ripped
newspaper from the cars, revealing bright vehicles with multi-coloured
balloons floating from their boots.
Echoing the song's original video, saxophonist Lee Thompson was lifted to play solo high above the track.
A total of 160 guards from the Massed Bands of the Household Division marched behind Madness before playing Blur's Parklife.
The Pet Shop
Boys, riding on rickshaws, performed West End Girls, followed by X
Factor phenomenon One Direction with their hit What Makes You Beautiful.
In another nod
to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 10 large trucks burst open to reveal
street parties representing all walks of London life.
Some 30
gymnasts from Britain's Got Talent troupe Spelbound contorted themselves
to illustrate the lyrics of The Beatles' A Day in The Life.
British singer
Ed Sheeran performs Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, accompanied by Pink
Floyd's Nick Mason (not pictured) Mike Rutherford and The Feeling's
Richard Jones
British singer Annie Lennox performs 'Little Bird' aboard a giant wooden gallion during the Closing Ceremony
Mods: The Kaiser Chiefs perform The Who's Pinball Wizardon scooters during the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
Comeback: Pop icon George Michael performed Freedom as well as his new single White Light
The reclusive singer took to the stage to perform for fans and athletes inside the Olympic Stadium
Imagine: A sculpture in the shape of late Beatles band member John Lennon is formed onstage during the Closing Ceremony
John Lennon's
face appears on the big screen as a choir of 100 people from Liverpool,
where Lennon was born, sing Imagine. The choir includes members of the
Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir and Liverpool Signing choir
Flagbearers from participating nations parade during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
United nations: Flagbearers take part in the athletes' march during the closing ceremony
Represnting the
world: Athletes from the 200 plus nations competing at London 2012
appear in the stadium, waving their nations' flags
Team GB: A British athlete dances with a Union flag as athletes from all over the world parade during the closing ceremony
Team GB: Sailing gold medal winner Ben Ainslie proudly carries the British flag into the Olympic Stadium
Athletes enter the Olympic stadium during the closing ceremony
Ray Davies sings 'Waterloo Sunset', during the Closing Ceremony
Artists arrange white boxes within the Olympic Stadium. The boxes represent the 303 events that took place during London 2012
The boxes form a pyramid in the centre of the stage
As the day drew to a close, The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies arrived in a black cab singing his 1960s hit Waterloo Sunset.
As a funfair
scene emerged, a shimmering river of 270 children from 10 schools in the
six east London host boroughs weaved its way through the melee to
Sande's reprise of Read All About It.
As many of the
10,000 athletes from the 204 nations involved in the Games flooded into
the stadium, filling the areas between the ramped stage, they joined
hands during Elbow's performance of Open Arms and One Day Like This.Huge
cheers greeted British sailor Ben Ainslie as he carried the Union flag
into the stadium.
'Wow. This is it... The end,' Ainslie tweeted.
'We should all be very proud to have held the greatest Olympics in modern times. Huge thanks to everyone involved.
Following the
flag-bearers, thousands of athletes walked through the spectators,
medals round their necks, high-fiving fans and waving to the cameras.
A British military marching band performs Blur song Parklife during the Closing Ceremony
Flying the
flag: The bright colours of the Union Jacks being waved and on the set
floor provided a sharp contrast to the white and black newspaper print
Bang on: Stomp performs in front of the London skyline stage set
But conscious
of the night's tight timings, a series of stage hands clad in black ran
alongside the athletes, comically lifting their knees to their chest to
hurry them along.
As athletes gathered in the segments between the ramps to the stage, some perched on others' shoulders.
And while the
fans eagerly videoed and took photos of their sporting heroes, the
athletes could be seen returning the favour, clutching their own cameras
to capture the crowd on film.
Billions of
viewers were treated to another interpretation of the Union Flag as the
athletes, in their national colours, formed a mosh pit around the stage.
White boxes
representing the 303 Olympic events formed a pyramid on to which the
winners, losers, blood, sweat and tears from London 2012 were projected.
After the
traditional men's marathon victory ceremony, the 70,000 volunteer Games
Makers were honoured with a shower of petals before darkness and silence
descended.
The showcase of British music continued with the voice of Freddie Mercury singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
Boy band One Direction perform during the Olympic Closing Ceremony
Neil Tennant, singer of the Pet Shop Boys, performs during the Closing Ceremony
Closing: As the sun sets in London, the Olympic Stadium prepares for the London 2012 closing ceremony
From the
darkness along the ramps, a sculpture of John Lennon's face was formed
as Imagine was sung by choirs from his birthplace, Liverpool.
George Michael came in singing his 1990s anthem Freedom '90 before segueing into his latest record White Light.
Spotlights then picked out the Kaiser Chiefs playing The Who's Pinball Wizard after a dark blue light descended on the stadium.
As inflatable
silver pinballs bounced around the athletes, Kaiser Chief Ricky Wilson
joined 50 Mods on scooters for the performance.
A sequence of
sound waves were sent around the stadium on more than 70,000 pixel
screens next to each seat before floating up to form images of David
Bowie on the screens.
A compilation
in homage to Bowie culminated in Fashion before stunning billboard
images of nine British supermodels preceded their entrance.
As the drapes
were pulled off, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, wearing Alexander
McQueen, strutted along shimmering catwalks forming the Union Jack.
With the Olympic cauldron shrouded in smoke, Annie Lennox emerged on the figurehead of a ghost galleon to perform Little Bird.
As the ship
faded back into the smoke, two men in 1970s business suits walked a
tightrope high above the field of play before shaking hands and bursting
into flames, recreating the album cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were
Here.
Ed Sheeran was
joined by original Floyd drummer Nick Mason, The Feeling's Richard Jones
and Genesis founder Mike Rutherford for the hit.
As segments of
daily British life were shown to the crowds, comedian Russell Brand
arrived on a psychedelic tour bus performing Pure Imagination from Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Beatles' I Am The Walrus with
string quartet Bond.
The bus
transformed into a fluorescent 50m octopus as Fatboy Slim rose from its
head, spinning his decks as dancers performed to his hits Right Here,
Right Now and The Rockafeller Skank.
Beginning of
the end: Following on from Kenneth Brannagh's turn in the Opening
Ceremony, actor Timothy Spall - in character as Winston Churchill - also
read lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest to start the evening
Actor Timothy Spall poses as Sir Winston Churchill atop Big Ben, while Julian Lloyd Webber accompanies him on the cello
From classical
to pop: An artist plays the cello during the closing ceremony, which
celebrated music across the centuries, as well as the decades
From limousines
circling the track, Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz emerged
singing their respective hits Price Tag, Written in the Stars and
Dynamite before joining together for the Bee Gees' disco tune You Should
Be Dancing.
After a
balletic performance of 10 taxis, five came to life illuminated in baby
pink, sporty stripes, posh dynamite, the Union Flag and a scary animal
print.
It was, of
course, the much-anticipated reunion of the Spice Girls - reformed for
one night only to perform Spice Up Your Life and Wannabe from the roofs
of the cabs.
Former Oasis star Liam Gallagher continued the run of British classics with his band Beady Eye for the 1990s hit WonderWall.
As Electric
Light Orchestra's Mr Blue Sky filled the stadium, home-made flying
machines made several attempts to get off the ground as a would-be
rocket man played by Monty Python comedian Eric Idle collapsed under the
stage, only to return to lead the crowds in a new version of Always
Look On The Bright Side of Life.
Joined by a
surreal collection of jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players
and skating nuns, a human cannonball was launched across the stadium.
Muse, known for their fascination with outer space, took to the stage next with their London 2012 Olympic song Survival.
Four tipper
trucks, driven to centre stage, exploded in a fury of pyrotechnics as
their raised tailgates became screens showing footage of Freddie Mercury
performing live in 1986 at Wembley Stadium.
With "deyo,
deyo" ringing out across the stadium, Queen's Roger Taylor emerged while
bandmate Brian May made his way through the crowd performing the guitar
solo from Brighton Rock before joining Jessie J for the classic anthem
We Will Rock You.
Read all about it: A London street scene was played out - with the whole set wrapped in newspaper
Classic comedy: Del Boy and Rodney's Reliant Robin explodes during the closing ceremony
Only Fools and Horses: Del Boy and Rodney, dressed as Batman and Robin, appear in the stadium
Masters of the House: Madness ¿ led by frontman Suggs ¿ perform Our House during a street party scene
Royal laughs: Prince Harry and Kate Middleton share a joke during the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
As an arrow pointed to Rio de Janeiro, the host city for 2016, the Greek flag was raised in honour of the origins of the Games.
After the
Olympic Flag was lowered by members of the armed forces, the Olympic
Anthem rang out sung by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir and the London
Welsh Rugby Club Choir.
The capital's
mayor Boris Johnson had the honour of passing the flag to Mr Rogge, who
in turn presented it to Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, each waving the
traditional four times.
Celebrating the first time a South American country hosts the Games, a mix of cultures, music and dance marked the handover.
From a solitary
street cleaner practising Samba steps, a carnival parade invaded the
stage as Brazilian pop singer Marisa Monte entered with a giant gown
representing water goddess Yemanja, who is celebrated on New Year's Eve
on Copacabana Beach.
Actor-singer
Seu Jorge joined an acrobatic group of Capoeira fighters and dancing
couples, including model Alessandra Ambrosio, as the whole cast reunited
in front of Rio's skyline.
London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe then joined IOC president Jacques Rogge on stage, and addressed the crowd.
The Locog boss
said: ‘We lit the flame and we lit up the world. Once again we have
shown ourselves worthy. For that I want to say thank you.’
‘Thank you to the people of this country. At our closing ceremony we can say these are a Games by everyone.’
Actors parade around the model of St Paul's wrapped in newsprint, during the opening stages of the closing ceremony
Artists wave Union Jack flags as they perform with cars, wrapped in newspaper, as the closing ceremony gets underway
Back on song: Emeli Sande, who sang Abide With Me during the Opening Ceremony, performs on the newspaper-covered stage
The colourful
London landscape takes life in the centre of the Olympic Stadium, with
Tower Bridge, the London Eye and the Gerkin taking centre-stage
CLOSING CEREMONY BY NUMBERS
2 cannons used during the closing ceremony.
4 tipper trucks used in one section of the extravaganza.
6 flying machines featured in the show.
20 large inflatable silver pinballs were released among the athletes.
At least 40 members of gymnastics troupe Spelbound.
40 hours three people spent lining up the images to the irregular shape of the seating bowls.
50 scooters pimped up by the cast themselves.
50, the diameter in metres of the octopus when fully extended.
101 fragments used to create the face of John Lennon.
108 vehicles in
the first scene - 10 black cabs, 10 wedding cars, 10 vintage cars, 10
sports cars, 10 modern cars, 10 cars with trailers, 10 trucks, 10
mopeds, four white vans, eight bikes, eight folding bikes, and eight
skateboards.
270 children formed the River Thames from 10 schools.
3,500 in the cast of the London 2012 closing ceremony.
5,600 square metres - the specially commissioned floor covering created by Damien Hirst.
10,000 lights used to transform the newsprint city into a luminous fun fair in the fairground scene.
70,799 small panels mounted between the seats to create the audience pixel screen, each one with nine LED pixels.
During a round
of appreciation he offered his gratitude to the Olympic volunteers who
gave their time ‘energy and goodwill, and ‘to the IOC who have been with
us every step of the way.’
After thanking
the athletes and before introducing IOC President Jacques Rogge, he
added: ‘When our time came Britain we did it right – thank you.’
Rogge added: 'These were happy and glorious Games. The legacy of the Games of the XXX Olympiad will become clear in many ways.
'Concrete improvements in infrastructure will benefit the host nation for years to come.
'The human legacy will reach every region of the world.
'Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams.'
Rogge said the 17 days of the Olympics had been "unforgettable" and he paid tribute to London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.
'The organising committee, well supported by the public authorities, did a superb job," he said.
'We will never
forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful
volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games.
'You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games.
'Your enthusiastic cheers energised the competitors and brought a festive spirit to every Olympic venue.
'You have shown the world the best of British hospitality.'
Dead on midnight the flame that reached all corners of the UK over 70 days was extinguished.
As the dying flame flickered in the Olympic cauldron, a new flame emerged in the form of a phoenix suspended above the audience.
After much
speculation over whether they would perform or not after Gary Barlow's
tragic loss of his stillborn daughter, Take That - minus Robbie Williams
whose wife is due to give birth - took to the stage with hit single
Rule The World.
As they left
the stage, the flaming figure of prima ballerina Darcey Bussell
descended on the stadium from its roof, joining more than 200 ballerinas
dancing to David Arnold's Spirit of the Flame.
After performing a mesmerising dance representing the fire in the torch, they moved towards the cauldron, bowing down below it.
As the stadium
became a sea of red, white and blue for the grand finale, The Who burst
into Baba O'Riley and See Me, Feel Me as a montage of faces, including
volunteers, fans, security guards, youngsters and troops flashed across
the screens.
Building to its climax, the faces multiplied, expressing a sense of unity in the UK and beyond.
Bussell then led the Brazilian performers in a procession around the stadium.
Rock superstars
The Who ended the night with a performance of Baba Reilly and a medley
of their other hits, as a fireworks lit up the London sky.
And the Games were over.
80,000 people
in the Olympic Stadium counted down to the beginning of the opening
ceremony, to the chimes of a replica of Big Ben
Scaled-down London! Landmarks of the capital make up the set for the Closing Ceremony
